MrWhoopee

I don't have one yet. Trying to avoid buying one with problems.

I've searched, but haven't found the answer. I know how to do it in my Hondas, raise the car on a lift (all 4 wheels), start the engine, put the car in first gear and set the e-brake. If the engine dies, the rear wheel drive is working. I assume this will work for a Subaru, but I'm not sure. Since I am shopping for a Subaru and I know that many people do not pay attention to keeping the tires matched, I would like to be able to test the AWD, preferably without having to take it to a shop. Please enlighten me.

Good info, just exactly what I'm looking for. I have a line on a '99 Legacy 2.2L with 136k for $4500, clean inside and out. May have to forgo the winter package. The Honda RT4WD only gets in the high 20s to a max of 30 mpg, so not much difference. I have experienced (the hard way) the mis-matched tire problem. Ended up having to rebuild my viscous coupler as a result. I now have a tape for measuring tire circumference to be sure. Thanks

I live in the mountains of northern California, and we actually get snow. Sometimes a lot. I own 2 H*nd* RT4WD wagons, which we use for our snow cars. One is an '88, the other a '91. Both are well over 200,000 miles and the '91 just barely passed smog yesterday. My wife's daily commute is about 100 miles round trip, so reliability is a major concern. My other primary concern is fuel economy. It's time to find something more modern, and hopefully a little nicer, for Heidi. That's where Subarus come in. With a budget of about $5000, my research has brought me to the late '90s to early '00s Legacy AWD wagons with the 2.2 L engine. I can find them in my price range with less than 150k miles. I'm looking for input about what to look for and what to avoid. I'd like to get the winter package if I can. All input is welcome. Thanks Craig

Hello all, My name is Craig. I don't own a Subaru yet, but I'm in the market. I came here pre-emptively to find out what to look for and what to avoid. I'll be posting my questions in the (hopefully) appropriate places. Your patience is appreciated.